History textbooks, once they get over describing the Jesuits as the shock troops of the Counter Reformation, often mention that Ignatius of Loyola wrote a book called Spiritual Exercises, and that the order ran a lot of schools. Those two aspects of the Jesuit enterprises will be the subject of Professor O’Malley’s lecture. The book of the Exercises is crucial for understanding the Jesuits, but its historical significance was generally not understood even by them. What is it, then, that sets it apart from similar books of its era and constitutes it as a classic? Beyond the Exercises Ignatius, through his governance of the order, broke new ground in how holiness could be pursued.

That Ignatius and his fellow Jesuits began running schools in the humanistic mode is related to that spirituality, but it led them down paths they could never have foreseen. Once again they did not fully perceive the significance of what they were doing. Do we?

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This program is part of Religious Change, 1450 - 1700, a multidisciplinary project exploring how religion and print made the medieval world modern. The project is generously supported by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Doors open half an hour before the program begins, with first-come, first-served seating for registered attendees. If seats remain available, non-registered individuals will be permitted to enter about ten minutes before the event’s start. Questions? Contact us at publicprograms@newberry.org or 312-255-3610.